Sprinkler



B. OAKES.

SPRINKLER.

APPLlcATloN HLED FEB. 8. |919.

Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

UNITED STATES BEN oAxEs, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SPRINKLER.

Application led February 8, 1919.

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BEN OAKEs, a citi zen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne 'and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sprinklers, of which the following is a specifcation, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to lawn sprinklers and has particular reference to lawn sprinklers of the so called disappearing type, such as employ a nozzle normall.7 housed within a casing embedded beneat the surface of a lawn, the nozzle being automatically projected by pressure of the water when the latter is turned on and retracted by its own weight when the pressure is relieved.

It is the object of the invention to provide a lawn sprinkler of the disappearing type comprising a casin and a nozzle normally housed within sald casing, provision being made to drain said casing after the water has been shut off and the drainage opening being automatically closed when the nozzle is in use.

Another object of the invention iS to provide a spring through which automatic control of the drainage valve is effected, said spring allowing sufficient play in the connection to the drainage valve to cushion said valve as it seats, this play being furthermore important in permitting the seating of another valve preventing -leakage around the nozzle while the same is in use and the spring furthermore functioning as a strainer to prevent the passage to the nozzle of any particles of solid matter sufliciently large to clog the nozzle passage.

A further object is to provide a closure for the chamber normally receiving the nozzle, which closure will be automatically thrown open when the nozzle is projected and which will close through gravity as the nozzle is retracted, the hinging of said closure being such that any dirt accumulating I on the closure when the same is seated will be thrown to one side of the opening into the nozzle receiving chamber as said closure is raised.

A preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional `view show* Serial No. 275,686.

ing the normal position of the parts housed beneath the surface o-f the lawn;

Figure 2 is a similar view, wherein the nozzle is shown projected to its position of use;

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of a disc which is employed in the nozzle to impart a whirling movement to the discharging stream.

In these views, the reference character I designates an underground. water supply pipe which may serve to supply any number of the sprinklers, such as are herein disclosed. 2 designates a riser from the pipe 1 extending to a vertically elongated casing 3 surmounted by a chamber 4, said chamber being formed with a depending nipple 5 screw-threaded in the top of said casing. Within the chamber 4 there is normally housed a nozzle 6 having in its top an outlet 7 and provided interiorly with a disc 8 formed with oppositely inclined passages 9, through which the water is compelled to pass before reaching the outlet and is thereby given a whirling motion. The nozzle 6 is screw-threaded upon the upper end of a cylindrical follower member 10, passing slidably through an orifice 10n in the nipple 5 and having a sufficient amount of clearance in said orifice to move quite freely when being either projected or retracted. The follower member 10 has at its upper end an interior flange 11 and at its lower end an exterior flange 12, said flanges providing surfaces against which the -water pressure may act to effect projection of the nozzle and follower. The fiange 11 is provided with a central water passage 13 which is bordered by a depending collar 13al and the flange 12 is employed as a mounting for a packing ring 14 which engages the nipple 5 to limit projection of the nozzle and to seal the clearance space 'between the follower 10 and the wall of the orifice 10a. To the collar 13a there is secured the upper end of the coiled spring 15, the convolutions of which are closely adjacent. The lowermost of said convolutions are somewhat restricted in diameter so as to embrace the vertical stem 16 of a drainage valve 17. Said valve controls an opening 18 surrounding the stem 16 and formed in a cap 19 attached to a lower end of a pipe 19a depending from the horizontal pipe 1 in alignment with the riser 2. The cage within which the valve 17 works is formed by a second cap 20 threaded to a nipple 2Oa depending from the cap 19, lateral outlets 21 being formed in said cap 20. The stem 1.6 is surmounted by a knob 22 which, in the normal position of the parts, lies some distance above the lower end of the spring 15, in which position the valve 17 rests upon the cap 2O leaving the passage 18 unobstructed; When, however, the nozzle and its follower are projected, due to admission of water under pressure to the casing 3, the spring is carried upward by the follower and before reaching its upward limiting position the lower end of the spring engages the knob 22 lifting the stem 16 sufficiently to seat the valve 17 and thus close the passage 18. Since it would be hardly feasible to cause the packing ring 14 and valve 17 to reach their seats at the same instant, it is preferred to arrange for seating of the valve 17 slightly in advance of said packing ring. the spring 15 being slightly tensioned subsequent to seating of the valve 17, so as to allow movement of said packing ring to its seat. The convolutions of said spring are spaced apart slightly so that the spring may function as a strainer to prevent the passage to the nozzle of any particles sufficiently large to clog the passage of the nozzle. For obvious reasons, it is preferred to extend the pipe 19a downward a sufiicient distance to permit location of the drainage ports 21 below the frost line.

The chamber 4 has in its top an opening 23 giving passage to the nozzle as the latter is projected or retracted, said opening being provided with a round closure 24 and having its edges beveled so as to permit the closure to seat tight and flush with the top of said chamber. Said closure is provided with an under-slung and disappearing hinge pivoted, as indicated at 25, in the top portion of the chamber 4 and comprised by integral arms 26 and 27 meeting at an acute angle and projecting downwardly when the closure is seated, the arm 27 having av portion 27a centrally secured to the under side of the closure and engageable by the nozzle when the same is projected, to throw the closure open.

Briefly reviewing the operation and advantages of the above described construction, it is to be noted, first. that the closure 24 when moving to its raised position can not deposit any accumulation of dirt within the chamber 4, but will tend to throw any such accumulation to one side, this result being primarily achieved through the use of the under-slung and disappearing hinge 26 and 27. The construction of said hinge permits employment of a round closure which is desirable since it prevents the least possible Contact surface with its seat, and

is adapted to engage said seat tightly and vet without bindingr and with a minimum of friction. Also there. is no friction or drag on the hinge except at its pivot or pin 25. The hinge swings up and down through and over the edge of opening 23, bodily lifting the closure 24 and carrying t-he same to one side of the opening 23. Upon admission of water under pressure to the casing 3, the nozzle 6 and follower 10 are at once projected, due to the action of the water pressure against the flanges 11 and 12 and disc 8. In moving out,the nozzle throws the closure 24 to its open position, as is shown in Figure 2. During the first portion of the projecting movement, the re.- stricted lower end of the spring 15 slides freely on the stem 16. During the latter portion of the projecting movement. said restricted portion of the spring engages the knob 22 on said stem and shifts the same to seat the valve 17, said valve being seated when the nozzle is discharging. Leakage of water through the opening 18 and ports 21 is thus avoided. In the final projecting movement of the nozzle and follower', the spring 15 is slightly tensioned and the packing ring 14 is carried to its seat on the nipple 5. Besides preventing upward leakage through the clearance space surrounding the follower. said packing ring cushions the limiting impactof the projecting movement. Since the only outlet for the water in the casing is through the interstices between the convolutions of the 100 spring and thence to the nozzle` the spring will function as a strainer preventing passage of any solid matter to the nozzle sufficiently large to clog the same. Upon sluitting off the How of water to the sprinkler. 105 the nozzle and its follower will fall by their own weight, re-entering respectively the chamber 4 and casing 3 and subsequently theiclosure 24 will by its own weight return to its seat. Also the stem 16 will drop 110 to the position shown in Figure 1 when the knob 22 is disengaged by the spring 15, thus leaving the opening 18 clear to permit the casing 3 and chamber 4 to drain. The drainage feature prevents rusting of the 115 parts and consequently rapid deterioration of the mechanism. The closing of the drainage orifice and also of the clearance space around the follower when the nozzle is in use is important, since in the absence 120 of such provision a gradual accumulation of water around the sprinkler would result from leakage.

It is to be understood that the drainage feature may be omitted, if desired, leaving 125 the construction still perfectly operative.

In such case, the member 15 would still act as a. strainer but would lose its function as a. spring. In an installation employing a plurality of the disclosed sprinklers, deriv- 130 ing their water supply from aI common underground pipe line, (as indicated at 1 in the drawing) only that one of the series which communicates with the lowest point of the pipe line need have the drainage provision, said provision draining the entire series.

What l claim as my invention is:

l. A lawn sprinkler, comprising a 'cas ing having provision for drainage, a nozzle having a follower normally housed within said casing, means for admitting water under pressure to said casing and thence to said nozzle, the follower having a surface acted upon by the water pressure lto project the same from the water casing, a valve controlling drainage of the casing, and means for actuating said valve to its closed position by the follower as the latter is projected.

2. A lawn sprinkler, comprising a casing havin provision for drainage, a nozzle and a follower therefor, the latter being normally housed within said casing, means for admitting water under pressure to the casing, a follower having a surface acted upon by water pressure to project the same and the nozzle from the caslng, a valve con trolling drainage of theA casing, and a yielding lost motion actuating connection from the follower to said valve for closing the same during the latter portion of the projecting movement of the follower.

3. A lawn sprinkler, comprising a casing, said casing havng a drainage provision, a nozzle and a follower therefor, the latter being normally housed within said casing, means for admitting water under pressure to said casing, said follower having a surface acted upon by water ressure to project the .follower and nozzle tii'om the casing, a

coil spring depending from the follower hav-r ing a restricted portion, a valve controlling drainage of the casing, a stem for said valve engaged by the restricted ortion of said spring, an abutment carrie by said stem normally spaced above the restricted portion of the' spring, said abutment being engageable by said restricted portion ofthe spring when the nozzle and follower are partly projected to seat the drainage valve during the latter portion of the projecting movement.

4f. A lawn sprinkler comprising a casing having a drainage provision, a nozzle and a follower for said nozzle slidably engaging in an orifice in the top of the casing, a clearance space being provided between the follower and the wall of said orifice, means carried by the follower for sealing said clearance space in the projected position of nozzle and follower, a valve controlling drainage of the casing, and means for actuating the drainage valve to its seat by said follower as the latter is projected, said means being yieldable to permit sealing of the clearance space subsequent to seating of the drainage valve.

5. A lawn sprinkler, comprising a casing, a nozzle and a follower therefor, the latter slidably engaging the top of said casing, a water supply pipe depending from the casing, a stem extending through said supply pipe, a valve carried by said stem controlling drainage of the casing and said pipe, means carried by said follower for engaging said stem to seat the drainage valve when the valve and nozzle are projected through pressure of water insaid casing.

6. ln a lawn sprinkler, the combination with adisappearing nozzle and a receptacle containing the same when not in use, of means for automatically controlling drainage of said receptacle through projection and retraction of said nozzle.

7. ln a lawn sprinkler, the combination with a disa peering nozzle and a receptacle receiving the same when not in use and formed with a circular opening permitting projection and retraction of the nozzle, of a circular closure for said opening and an underslung hinge member pivoted within said receptacle and having a portion centrally secured to the under face of the closure with which yportion the nozzle is adapted to contact on projection of the same, said hinge member extending through said circular opening with a clearance when the closure is in open position and having all movable parts disappearing within said receptacle when the closure is seated, and means for admitting water under pressure to said receptacle for projecting the nozzle and closure.

ture.

BEN OAKES. 

